Studied is the key point here. Most modern music reveals not a lot when studied. This isn't true for metal. This is a step in the right direction.

Well I hope they don't look at a modern Emperor and proclaim it a high point in their career. It's feels like a control issue, like what if they don't see the rot, after having studied superficial music for so long.

1) If we go to a respectable university, should we somehow try to include that information in our package? For some reason, I think that would make them, well, take us more seriously. After all, we know how most academics can be, right?

2) Just out of curiousity: how do academics (specifically, music professors) go about studying relatively unknown music? Do they just pay attention to how it's structured (pardon me for not using using more specific words, but I know next to nothing about music theory and how music is composed), or will they pay attention to the general ideas it's trying to communicate (ie "Only death is real," and the realities that the general population wants to ignore)? Or do you think that the latter interpretations would be made by history or philosophy or psychology or sociology professors?

I agree that this project is important, but I'm just wondering how long it will take academia to recognize the legitimacy of the music (I'm making the assumption that music professors will be the only academics to study this music for the next few decades).

1) If we go to a respectable university, should we somehow try to include that information in our package? For some reason, I think that would make them, well, take us more seriously. After all, we know how most academics can be, right?

2) Just out of curiousity: how do academics (specifically, music professors) go about studying relatively unknown music? Do they just pay attention to how it's structured (pardon me for not using using more specific words, but I know next to nothing about music theory and how music is composed), or will they pay attention to the general ideas it's trying to communicate (ie "Only death is real," and the realities that the general population wants to ignore)? Or do you think that the latter interpretations would be made by history or philosophy or psychology or sociology professors?

I agree that this project is important, but I'm just wondering how long it will take academia to recognize the legitimacy of the music (I'm making the assumption that music professors will be the only academics to study this music for the next few decades).

I can't believe I missed these questions. With all the idiots talking about how important rock music is, how they like to watch funny idiots talk about stupid stuff onstage, and how although metal's getting better it's still mediocre so we should give up now and start listening to emo, it's refreshing to find such a blast of intelligence. What the fuck is your problem, bro?

1. Really good idea. If you have the werewithal, you could include a letter:

Quote

Dear Dr. Hunter,

I am a student at [insert university here] who enjoys the artistic components of some death metal and black metal bands. I am sending yout his CD because I think it represents the best of this genre that is a cross-over between hardcore punk and neoclassical heavy metal. If you need resources for its study, I would recommend the list of books http://www.anus.com/metal/about/books/. I hope you are able to enjoy this vivid but undiscovered cultural movement as much as I have.

You can see how academics approach a new subject, like a cross between scientists and ideologues. They start trying to fit it to a known pattern (rock) and gradually branch outward, then someone finds an ecclectic theory (ingroup, cultural recrudescence, Marxist sonic hegemony) and someone finally nails it. More books on metal have come out in the last two years than the two decades prior, so I'd say it's a fertile ground for study.

I might mail in the entire Philosophy of Heavy Metal to see if I can give the poor guy some grounds for understanding this stuff.

You can see how academics approach a new subject, like a cross between scientists and ideologues. They start trying to fit it to a known pattern (rock) and gradually branch outward, then someone finds an ecclectic theory (ingroup, cultural recrudescence, Marxist sonic hegemony) and someone finally nails it. More books on metal have come out in the last two years than the two decades prior, so I'd say it's a fertile ground for study.

Ok, that makes sense. Pretty soon these guys will see that it's more than just a bunch of rednecks playing power chords and grunting. I remember Deena Weinstein making some kinda-sorta intellingent comments in "Metal: A Headbanger's Journey," something along the lines of: "Yes...you can see it's extremely masculine behavior. It's men using their instruments well, having complete control and mastery over them."

Someone will eventually see that this music grants the listener the strength to "break free of the rigid paradigms society has created," as Trey Azagthoth puts it. These academics will eventually see that it's something more than rock once we send them enough examples of what metal can accomplish.

That's a good idea you have about the letter. I'm going to buy a copy of Hvis Lyset Tar Oss sometime this week to send to Dr. Hunter, and I'll be sure to send the letter and an ANUS review of the album in the package...unless someone already has or is in the process of sending Hvis Lyset Tar Oss.

I might mail in the entire Philosophy of Heavy Metal to see if I can give the poor guy some grounds for understanding this stuff.

Have you sent this essay already, born for banning? If not, I'm about to send Dr. Hunter copies of "Hvis Lyset Tar Oss" and "...For Victory," and I'd be more than willing to include it in the package. There's a chance that the guy will just throw it away, but since it's so many pages it may catch his attention, right?

But then again, if we do send multiple copies, he could potentially disbtribute them among the faculty of the University...

I would like to buy all of these but, hey, I'm a college student :-/. I think if each person on this board bought at least one (used and affordable) copy of a quality death/black metal cd (along with its corresponding review, and remembered to post what he or she sent) then University of Texas would quickly be flooded with this specific kind of music. Its fairly easy to ignore a few submissions, but if these people received an overwhelming amount of these albums, then I think they would have to pay attention to the music and the reviews. Hopefully, they'll see that someone takes this music seriously...

Or maybe I'm too optimistic. Well, either way, it's a guaranteed way to preserve these cds for future study. As everyone can see, it shouldn't be too hard to send in these albums. Just order a cheap copy online, and all you have to do is wait and send it to the University of Texas in a padded envelope.

(Due to the scarcity of affordable Demilich albums, I'm thinking someone should be the 'sacrificial lamb' and send in the original copy they already own...or buy a really expensive copy on ebay or Amazon ).

Traditional heavy metal tends to employ modal scales, in particular the Aeolian and Phrygian modes.[13] Harmonically speaking, this means the genre typically incorporates modal chord progressions such as aeolian progression like I-VI-VII, I-VII-(VI) or I-VI-IV-VII and phrygian progressions implying the relation between I and &#9837;II (I-&#9837;II-I, I-&#9837;II-III or I-&#9837;II-VII for example).

A trademark of many heavy metal subgenres is the use of tense harmony, such as chromatic or tritone relationships.[14][15] The tritone, an interval spanning three whole tones&#8212;such as C and F#&#8212;is one of the fundamental expressions of dissonance in Western music.

One of the signatures of the genre is the guitar power chord.[10] In technical terms, the power chord is relatively simple: it involves just one main interval, generally the perfect fifth, though an octave may be added as a doubling of the root. Other types of power chords are also used: often the traditional perfect fifth is replaced by a different interval such as the fourth, the minor third/-major third, the diminished fifth, and the minor sixth.[11] The power chord makes possible a high level of distortion without unintended dissonance.

I think they take this in the wrong direction. Metal is Nietzsche's child: it wants to be ancient Greek dramatic music, which is purely modal, and that's why they use the power chord (no harmonic overtones, so modal change is possible without lengthy intervening material).

I've sent four CDs to the UT library guy but received no response, although when I called, they said that was normal. I sent a Monastery/Anarchus, a Slayer - South of Heaven, a Morbid Angel - Covenant and Amon - Feasting the Beast. Who else sent something?

Thank you for your two compact discs of these groups. We will add these to our small but choice collection of death metal items.

Thank you for your generosity.

Sincerely,

Dr. David HunterMusic LibrarianThe University of Texas Fine Arts Library

He's noticed . I would make a scan of the letter he sent me, but I don't have access to any sort of scanner. But he apparently appreciates what we're doing, so keep them coming. Also, be sure to send reviews or letters to give him some frame of reference for his academic interpretation. So far I've sent him Paul Speckmann's "Speckmann Project," Bolt Thrower's "...For Victory" and Burzum's "Hvis Lyset Tar Oss." I'll try to send him "Pure Holocaust" in the near future, but if anyone has a spare copy to send feel free to beat me to the punch.

For those who qualify, the U.S. Treasury Department will soon begin sending out $300+ "Economic Stimulus" checks in a desperate attempt to mask an increasingly obvious collapse through means that mirror what is causing it; this could be a rare opportunity to preserve timeless genius at the expense of modern stupidity.

If enough people are interested, maybe we could coordinate something to prevent overlap and ensure quality.

do you guys know if they accept stuff that is shipped to them directly from some sort of merchant (amazon or the like)? if they did, i could totally order one or two classics for the cause (preferably selected by someone more knowledgeable than myself) and have them shipped directly there. otherwise i can't really do much, as I live in Bulgaria and having things shipped to/from is a pain in the ass even when it arrives and unbelievably expensive whether it does or not.

do you guys know if they accept stuff that is shipped to them directly from some sort of merchant (amazon or the like)? if they did, i could totally order one or two classics for the cause (preferably selected by someone more knowledgeable than myself) and have them shipped directly there. otherwise i can't really do much, as I live in Bulgaria and having things shipped to/from is a pain in the ass even when it arrives and unbelievably expensive whether it does or not.

I'm sure they would. Just include an explanatory note through the merchant.

okay, neither Slayer's "Reign in Blood" nor Emperor's "In the Nightside Eclipse" showed up on their search engine, so I ordered both from amazon and had them shipped directly there. Add them to the list!

I know that i've never posted anything before, but I studied classical music for several years and recognition of metal by classically trained academicians/musicians is a subject that is rather near to my heart.